Kirk Cousins is forever motivated by high school C+

Washington Redskins' quarterback Kirk Cousins (L) leaves the field with Jay Gruden after Redskins-Arizona Cardinals game on December 4 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Photo by Art Foxall/UPI | License Photo

May 11 (UPI) -- There is no doubt that Kirk Cousins wants to be prepared for the biggest season of his NFL career. He's using a high school match quiz for motivation.

Cousins scored a 39/50 on the 2005 Integrated Math III quiz. He said the 78 percent is a reminder that he needs to prepare. Cousins attended Holland Christian High School in Holland, Mich.

"Sometimes our guests ask why I have this hanging above my desk," Cousins wrote in the Instagram caption. "It's an old high school math quiz when I didn't study at all and got a C+...just a subtle reminder to me of the importance of preparation. If I don't prepare I get C's!"

Cousins, 28, went on to play for four seasons at Michigan State before being taken in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He was named to the 2011 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Class, earning an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. He was also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, given to the top scholar-athlete in the nation. Cousins posted a 3.68 GPA in kinesiology and graduated from the school. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors every year in East Lansing.

Cousins led the NFL with a 69.8 percent completion percentage in 2015. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2016 after passing for 4,917 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. This offseason he was rumored in trade talks, but remained with the Redskins via the franchise tag. He will make $23.9 million in 2017 and is set to hit free agency again next offseason. Cousins owns a 19-21-1 record as a starting quarterback in four seasons with the Redskins. He is 17-14-1 since taking over as the full-time starter in 2015.

On Monday, Cousins posted a photo of all of the books he plans to read this year. The title's included Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers and C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain, among eight other novels.

A post shared by Kirk Cousins (@kirk.cousins) on May 10, 2017 at 1:21pm PDT

On Tuesday, Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan said Cousins has reached his ceiling.

"His ceiling is where it's at right now," McCloughan told Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier on 106.7 The Fan. "He's a good player who has proven he can win a division and that's hard to find -- and a chance for two years in a row to go to the playoffs. That's what you're looking for."